To grease or Not to grease – Trailer tow balls.!

Greasing Tow Balls: What Works Best for Trailer Couplings and Towing?  Should You Grease Your Tow Ball? Pros, Cons, and Alternatives Explained.

When deciding whether to grease tow ball on vehicles towing trailers, or trailer couplings consider the following pros and cons:

Pros of Greasing Tow balls

• Reduced Friction: Grease reduces friction between the tow ball grease and the trailer coupling, preventing wear and tear.
• Corrosion Protection: It helps protect the tow ball from rust and corrosion.
• Smoother Operation: Greasing can lead to smoother towing and easier manoeuvrability.
• Sound: the towing experience is quieter with minimal clunk.

Cons of Greasing Tow balls

• Dirt Accumulation: Grease can attract dirt and debris, which may increase wear over time.
• Stability Issues: In some cases, the use of grease might reduce friction too much, affecting the stability of the trailer.
• Messiness: Grease can be messy and may transfer to clothing or other surfaces.

With above cons- it is suggested to use a tow ball ‘cap’ to minimise dirt and mess.

• Similar Metal-to-Metal Situations
• Hinges and Joints: Greasing can reduce noise and wear.
• Bearings: Essential for reducing friction and heat build-up.
• Gears: Used to ensure smooth operation and longevity.

Conclusion

The decision to grease a tow ball depends on the specific towing conditions and preferences. In some cases, a dry lubricant or specialized towing grease might be more suitable. Always refer to manufacturer recommendations for best practices.

What customers are saying :-

– “Hayman Reece have a lubricant to use on ball, and hitch. Not dirty and does not attract dust and works well.”

“Dry lube works well, can use candle wax or bees wax. None of these will attract dust, bees wax may attract bees though”

“I just use ordinary grease, I put a tennis ball with a hole cut in it over the ball when not towing to stop dust etc. The van hitch has a lock on it which also prevents dust. Every so often, I clean off the grease and apply new.”

“I am a grease user but regularly wipe it clean & re apply new grease.  I should use dry lube or graphite powder I suppose.”

“I have tried the plastic bag but found that they don’t stay in place or wear through in the course of a day.”

“Always use grease. Clean ball and coupling occasionally. When not in use put a plastic bag over the ball held in place with rubber band or string.”

‘If you own a European van with the stabiliser built into the hitch DO NOT use grease or lubricant of any type.”

“Grease/oil/lubricant, including dry lube will stop the hitch anti sway braking pads working efficiently.”

Also note that these hitches require a special tow ball with locking plate.

“We use Shell Nautilus marine grease on ours, it resists the elements as it does on our boat trailer as well. Properly greased couplings are the key to long life and safe use!”

“Tow ball connections should be greased because metal on metal causes screeching noises and premature wear. If the tow ball or inner coupling surface (tongue) wear becomes extreme the coupling can dislodge itself from the tow vehicle while in travel.”

“Braked couplings should be greased on actuator load bearing and moving surfaces using the grease nipples located on the coupling body.”

“One good long trip with no grease and I can guarantee you will be needing a new ball. The one that is used without grease will wear very badly. It is possible, and no I’m not saying it definitely would happen, but it is possible that a ball can be worked loose by running it with no grease.”

What are examples of dry lubricants suitable for tow balls?

Hayman Reese make the wonderful Teflon grease for our safety and to protect our equipment.

Suitable lubricants. Graphite Powder: Offers good lubrication and doesn’t attract dirt.

PTFE Spray (Teflon): Provides a slick surface without the mess of grease.

Molybdenum Disulfide (Moly): Known for reducing friction and wear.

 

Dry lubricants can be more expensive, need to be applied more often, but are cleaner to use.